Important Information About Poker Tournaments
Guaranteed Tournaments
Guaranteed tournaments have a guaranteed prize pool (ex. $2000 guaranteed). The guaranteed amount will be distributed as promised even if the total collected buy-in amount falls short of the guaranteed amount.
Please note that our regular tournaments contribute the collected buy-in amount to the prize pool. However, if there are more buy-ins than the guaranteed prize pool, the total money pool increases accordingly. If applicable, the guaranteed prize amount for each tournament is indicated in the tournament lobby.
Freezeout
A Freezeout is essentially a single elimination tournament where players are only allowed a single buy-in. At the start of the tournament, the players will receive an equal amount of tournament chips. If a player loses all of their chips they will be eliminated from the tournament and will not be able to re-enter.
Progressive Bounty
In a Progressive Knockout (PKO) Bounty tournament, each player has a bounty on his or her head. When a player is knocked out of a tournament, half of the corresponding player’s bounty is added on to the bounty of the player who knocks him or her out. The other half of the knocked-out player’s bounty is awarded to the player who knocked them out as an instant cash prize.
Mystery Bounty
In Mystery Bounty events, bounties are only paid in the final phase AND they are random. Not all bounties are the same value and there could be up to $100,000 in a single bounty.
Rebuy Tournaments
At the start of the tournament, all players will receive an equal amount of tournament chips. During the tournament, every player has the opportunity to purchase additional chips equivalent to the starting chip stack. This is called a Rebuy and players have the option to rebuy at any time during the specified time when their current chip amount is equal to or below the starting chips. The time allotted for rebuys and the number of rebuys available are different depending on the tournament. Details regarding rebuy tournaments are indicated in the tournament lobby, if applicable.
N-Stack
In an N-Stack Tournament, each player receives a set number of chip stacks upon registration (this set number is also known as ‘N’). Immediately prior to taking their seat in the tournament, the player can decide how many of these stacks they will start with and how many to keep in reserve to use later.
Each chip stack can be thought of as a ‘bullet’; players can begin the tournament with all available bullets in their starting stack. At least one stack must be used when a player first begins to play.
Reserved stacks can be called into use at any time up until the end of late registration or alternatively by a set time (the time at which reserved stacks can be used will be specified in the tournament lobby); if a player has not used their reserved stacks by this time, they will be added to the player’s live stack automatically.
Satellites
Satellite tournaments are qualifying events that give you an opportunity to win a seat at the main tournaments' tables with a much lower buy-in. These Satellites are typically in turbo or regular speed types and run between 30 to 90 minutes before the main event. Satellite winners will then qualify to the target tournament and be able to participate without having to pay the regular buy-in amount.
Tournament Overlays
Tournament Overlays refers to the gap between a poker tournament's guaranteed prize pool and the actual size of the prize pool generated by entrants. For example, if a tournament has a guaranteed prize pool of $1,000, a buy in of $10 and 90 players enter, the players will contribute only $900 to the prizepool. This would give the tournament an overlay of $100.
Flipout
Flipout tournaments are all-in tournaments where players will go all-in on every hand until a winner is decided. It removes all player choice, leaving the outcome of the game up to how the cards fall. This fun, exciting and totally random game does not require players to be logged in to play. Players just need to register before the game starts and wait for the results.
Sit & Go
Sit and Go tournaments (SNGs) are online poker tournaments that start when a preset number of players have signed up. There is no fixed schedule and the event will begin as soon as the required number of players have been met.
Freeroll
Freerolls are free-to-play poker tournaments, meaning you won’t be charged any entry/buy-in fee.
Shootout
A 'shootout' is a type of tournament where a player must win and be the last one standing at their table in order to move onto the next round or final table. Most other tournament formats tend to merge tables in order to maintain balance among the field but a shootout will require you to play out the full table before progressing.
Hyper Turbo & Turbo Tournaments
Hyper Turbo and Turbo tournaments are fast-paced variations of regular tournaments with shorter blind levels and less time to act. Turbo tournaments typically have 5 minute blind levels while Hyper Turbo tournaments will feature 3 minute blind levels.
Private Tournaments
Private tournaments are tournaments that are exclusively on Natural8. They are either held for a particular group of players for the purpose of promotion or open to all Natural8 players to participate.
